Govt Plans to Keep Tk 100bn For Covid-19 Emergency Response

The government has planned to put aside Tk 100 billion in the coming fiscal year to cover costs associated with unanticipated emergencies caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The sum is in line with the current fiscal year's budget, but it must be maintained while the Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc around the globe, said Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal while unveiling the proposded budget for the fiscal year of  2021-22 on Thursday afternoon.

Mustafa Kamal added that the country has received significant international financing to continue the epidemic fight into the upcoming fiscal year.

The World Bank will contribute $600 million, the Asian Development Bank will contribute $100 million, and the Asian Infrastructure Bank will contribute another $100 million. These funds have been used to carry out a variety of projects, which will continue into the next fiscal year, according to him.

The World Bank and the AIIB are supporting the ‘COVID-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness' initiative, which includes purchasing vaccines, installing oxygen lines, establishing ICUs and CCUs, and other operations.

According to the minister, Bangladesh has also taken steps to improve the capability of private medical college hospitals to deal with the pandemic.

It is also in the process of urgently recruiting people and consultants to assure proper case management, laboratory expansion, and the development of health workers', doctors', nurses', and technicians' capabilities.